March Madness maternity: Couple using brackets to pick daughter’s name

John and Maria Ruiz have spent more than a decade building their relationship around one thing they love as much as each other: college basketball. Now, as they await the birth of their first child, the longtime March Madness fans are letting the NCAA Tournament decide something far more personal — their daughter’s name. The couple, who began dating as teenagers in Miami and have been married for four years, built a tradition during their college years in 2014: traveling to campuses connected to the Final Four teams.

Their trips have taken them to UConn, Virginia, Duke and North Carolina, among others. John graduated from Florida State, while Maria is a proud North Carolina alum. One of their favorite memories came in 2017, when UNC won the national championship.

JUST DOWN THE STREET: Driving, parking and traffic: Surviving March Madness in downtown Tampa “It was absolutely insane,” Maria said. “We were very, very excited to be able to experience that national championship, be able to experience running through the streets and celebrating with thousands of people. ” This year, the brackets mean more than bragging rights .

The Ruizes, expecting a baby girl in July, designed their own tournament bracket in which each team represents a potential name for their daughter. And whichever team wins NCAA national title? That becomes her name.